Letter-box



(No Model.)

L. T. LIGHT.

LETTER BOX.

No. 483,070. Petented Sept. 20, 1892.

067% WITNESSES" I IAIVEIVTOR.

ATTOBIVEYSI UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LYMAN TRUE LIGHT, OF OOVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 483,070, dated September 20, 1892. Application filed July 7, 1891. Renewed May 18,1892. Serial No. 433,491. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYMAN TRUE LIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Covington, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter-Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists in a new and improved letter-boxwhich is especially designed for distributing mails throughout cities or in surburban towns, and it can be used to great advantage in hotels, flats, boarding-houses, and the like; and the invention Will be hereinafter fully'described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view showing the series of doors used by the box-renters. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the postmans door. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the device.

Referring to the several parts by their designating-numerals, my new and improvedletter-box 1 in its general appearance resembles somewhat the ordinary drop-letter box now generally used in cities; but it is divided longitudinally by vertical and transverse partitions 2 3 into a series of horizontal boxes 4, which extend entirely through from end.

to end of the main letter-box. One end of each horizontal box is closed by a small hinged door 5, which is numbered on the outside and provided with a lock and key, similar to the boxes for rent in post-offices, each renter of the box having a key to his own box. The other end of the letter-box l is closed by a large single hinged door 6, which closes the ends of all of the separate boxes 4 and is secured, when fastened, by a padlock and key.

The postman distributes the mail by opening the large door 6, when the names of the several renters of the boxes appear on the horizontal ledges below the boxes, and places the mail of each person in his box, then closes and locks the door 6. The renters of the boxes visit the letter-box 1 at any de sired time and each opens the door 5 of his box with his own key and removes his mail therefrom. The letter-box can be attached to a lamp-post or telegraph-pole by two iron bands bolted to the box, or the box can be supported in any preferred way.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction'and advantages of my new and improved letter-box will be readily understood. The box is preferably made of sheet-iron and can be made of any desired size, three sizesa large, medium, and small sizebeing usually manufactured. It will be seen that these letter-boxes will dispense with one-half the labor of the letter-carrier and will be perfectly safe, as the letters placed therein will be under the care of the United States postal laws. Each box attached to a lamp-post or stationed in a building is to be designated by the words Station by a number, or by a letter for reference.

The device will prevent the letters intended for persons in private houses or hotels from being delivered to careless servants and possibly lost or mislaid.

The device is very simple in its construction and can be manufactured at a comparatively small cost.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A letter-box consisting of a box divided by partitions into a number of separate compartments, a series of small doors closing these compartments at one of their ends for the use of the renters of the boxes, and a single door closing the otherends of the boxes for the use of the postman, substantially as set forth.

2. The herein-described letter-box, consisting of the box 1, the vertical and transverse partitions 2 3, dividing the interior of the same into the separate horizontal boxes 4, the small hinged doors 5, closing these separate boxes at one of their ends, and the large door 6, provided with a suitable lock and closing the boxes 4 at their other ends, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LYMAN TRUE LIGHT.

Witnesses:

E. B. LEWIS, H. R. Boom. 

